Musical Theatre
Introduction
What goes into a musical? This guide will review the elements of musical theatre, from scripts to singing to choreography, and how theatre artists bring the story to life onstage.
Terminology
- Book: The script of a musical.
- Composer: The person who writes the music.
- Librettist: The script (or book) writer of a musical.
- Libretto: The script of the musical, separate from the musical orchestrations.
- Lyricist: The person who writes the words of the songs, sometimes the same person as the composer or librettist.
- Orchestration: The arrangement of instrument parts, including piano, percussion, horns, and strings.
Context & Analysis
Musical theatre actually has its origins in ancient traditions of theatre. Ancient Greeks had a chorus that sang and chanted throughout the show. Ancient Sanskrit dramas incorporated songs for their characters. Throughout the classical period, dramas around the world used song to communicate characters’ thoughts and feelings. In the Renaissance in Europe, opera was
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Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress